[cyborgishly]

name[s]; yves (right) and laurent (left). Their alias is Janus, after the two faced god
gender[s]; male

"it's a gambling night," Yves had said, almost completely out of the blue. They were riding in the back of a cart and horse, carrying a carload of hay ontop of its axis. The night was cool and the stars just began to make their presence known, white lights against a fading orange sky. Blue was swallowing the orange, and then black would swallow the blue, enveloping the sky in a black sheet, sprinkled with stars.

Yet, the night was still young, and the indirect question still hung in the air. Laurent merely looked at his brother, watching as his thick fingers flicked the ashes off a burning cigarette. Laurent felt the blue of panic rise in his chest. "You're going drop that and this plethora of hay we are riding on will combust," and then "if you say it's a gambling night, so be it, Yves, but if you singe us I will never let you hear the end of it." Not a second later, with a slight tremor of hesitation, Yves flung his cigarette into the mossy ground, watching the wheel crush the life out of it.

When they reached the town, the sky was barely holding on, the last sliver of orange stubbornly staying in the sky. The boys, without their usual gang of monsters, walked the cobblestone streets with a certain aurora around them. People stared, people gasped, and some just downright laughed, but none dared to speak or interact with the boys, too scared of how this demon, this "magic man" would curse their family. Little did they know, they weren't magic men, they were simply boys at the ripe age of eighteen and hands that have been cleansed by too much blood. They strode in rhythmic step, Yves whistling some eerie tune that he'd picked up on their travels, probably somewhere like Prague or Romania, home of the spooks. In Yves' hand there was a cane that he was swinging around, putting an air like he didn't need it, even though he limped pretty bad.

Many years ago, at around the age of eleven, before they were circus stars and when they were just orphans, the pair was running away from another person who saw their thievery, holding the few apples they had stolen not two minutes ago. They ran down an alley, quickly darting into the next open spot they could find. Then, without sudden warning or lapse, the sound of a gun firing ran through the street. The pair turned around for a split second, seeing the bystander wave his gun at them, squaring up his shoulders for a final shot. Laurent knew this was the end. He felt it in his gut that death was near. When the shot rang through the empty alley and echoed off the cobblestone, it was Laurent that had staged a fall, making the first impulsive thought he ever had, and pulled Yves down with him. Yves had landed on his leg, bone biting into the meat of his thigh, the pavement breaking the bone asunder. Yves, though a rare occurance, started crying, his eyes dripping hot tears as his trembling lip tried to will them back. Laurent coaxed him to get up, and Yves listened, his wipers slowly turning into cries of pain. Funny, the bystander looked old, with their white hair, but there was something about them that made confusion sprout in his brain. Either they were losing consciousness fast enough to envision two heads, or the attacker actually did. Laurent pushed them up, even if the pain was unbearable, forgetting the stolen apples in the alleyway. Sharing a body had its drawbacks, and one of those drawbacks is physical pain. If one gets hurt, they both are bound to feel it, though the one side that is hurt, the twin is bound to feel it more substantially than the other. But Laurent pushed until he could push his brother no longer, finally resting at the base of a grand tent. "Yous ok- oh, man, you're bleedin. Mags! Get over here we got a job for ya! Ya hold on tight, alright? Yer time ain't up just yet."

The circus fixed Yves' leg the best they could, but the bone never healed right with the cheap, makeshift cast. Yves didn't let that show him down, and even now, Laurent knew his brother was being a show-off, he always did, but Laurent knew the tenderness of the leg. "Use that cane and stop pretending like you don't need it. Your pain affects me too," he hissed, watching how carelessly his brother swung the wooden stick around. "If you hurt yourself again, I'm gonna say I told you so." Yves merely rolled his eyes, more concerned about being cool than functioning. He'd cut off his right arm if he was trying to gain someone's approval. They soon reached the busy tavern, concerned on getting their next chunk of cash instead of seeing who is inside.

Who was inside, you ask? It was none other than the white-haired detetctive who had a history with the teens. The boys, more concerned about getting their spot at a table, passed by the other two-headed without a second glance, their eyes transfixed on the elusive money that seemed to come and go without a second glance. They had their pocket change in hand, about a hundred dollars, and sat down to get chips. The game of poker was simple and easy to cheat with. After about an hour, the boys had surpassed their one hundred dollars into about five hundred. It was then, in the rush of excitement and fear, that they boys felt a tap on their shoulder, finding their smile fading as they recognized the undercover detective. A synchronized curse was all they said, quickly scooping up their winnings and shoving them into their pockets, simultaneously turning around and running off, as fast as they could, in the other direction. They heard tales from the other members of the circus about what would happen, how they would be nothing but an experiment in jail. That's why fear bubbled in their stomach, why they feared being in confinement.

Even without the lame leg, the pair wasn't very fast, and the limp had only slowed them down. They relied heavily on the knives and the guns they had carried upon them for protection. Laurent's specialty was knifes. He'd gotten quite skilled with the ornaments and kept them on his hip, the left one, while Yves was more handy with a gun. He had two guns, both made from mother of pearl and shimmered with opalescence. They'd acquired the guns during a game of cars, and, quite unfairly, won them. They were wanted for theft and other unfair practices, but they were never caught. Not until Dani had grabbed their, well laurent's wrist, spinning the pair around. "So we meet again. What pleasure it is. Are you going to talk for us today, sweetheart?"

The run in with Dani has been an excruciatingly long journey. Ever since Dani, who may or may not have meant to, put a bullet in their leg, their encounters have been frequent and no more pleasant than the first. Despite the pair being wanted, they've always escaped from Dani. But they knew by now it was no accident. They knew Dani was smart, there was no denying it, and they could easily find Yves and Laurent if they wanted to. However, Dani could also arrest them. It wouldn't be hard, the boys assumed. All you would have to do is kick the cane away and then put a well placed kick to Yves' leg and bam, instant detainment. Yet, Dani had yet to do that, and every encounter with them, the boys can feel the hairs on their nape stand with fear.

But Dani did what Dani did best and led them over to a small corner, ferocity (and something else, a tinge of sadness?) in their eyes. "Well, Dani, since this is the," Laurent began, counting silently in his head, Yves on his fingers, "wow, eleventh time? Jeez, you must be bored. What ya gonna yell at us this time for huh? Maybe you could let the other one talk since you flap your gab a lot." Yves was eager to chime in as well, swiniging his cane once again. "Hey, can ya talk or are ya just a parasite or somethin?" He asked, a wide grin on his face. Laurent merely rolled his eyes, ignoring the mute head, for now. "So, Detective Dani, if you actually are a detective, did you like the clues we sent you?"

"You know I'm too smart for them, I know where the circus travels. And you can just follow the yells and dramatic flares of people who've been cheated."

"Right again, sweetheart." At this point, Yves was looking for an excape route. They've been in this town with their gang of circus family, or hooligans, and they were waiting for them at some tavern on the next street over. Laurent was making small chatter with a silver tongue and Dani was responding with an eye roll and a sigh. Typical. Laurent's head buzzed around with calculations while his brother talked. It was always a risk, letting Yves talk. His skill resides in weapons, not the skill of tongue. Then Laurent saw it, their way out. It was an open window, granted a story up, but they've jumped out of bugger. Though it didn't make Yves' leg better, it made it worse with each getaway. Laurent rubbed his chin, "accidentally" bumping his brother. They exchanged a small look before looking back at Dani, Yves leaning on the cane that was now on the floor instead of swinging in the air.

"Come, sugar, lets find somewhere else to talk. Or should I say scold, cause I'm sure that's what you're here for, no? I mean, it is gettin late, wouldn't want a bunch of teens to be out past curfew, yah? But I'm sure this table looks sufficient." The pair walked over to the mentioned table, walking past a couple that had a plethora of food. The pair didn't realize how hungry they were until the savory tendrils filled their nose. Stealing from them would be a piece of cake. They watched Dani while they did it too, pulling a coin out of their pocket and bending down to "pick it up". "Here you go, ma'am, sir," they said, watching the shock on their faces. "I think you dropped this," Laurent murmured after a moment of silence. He slipped the penny on the table, stealing the bread on the table. They turned around to Dani, their back to the people as they split the bread into two, each eating their half. Yves smirked as he chewed on the bread while Laurent merely enjoyed the piece, eyes glued to Dani.

Maybe Dani had felt bad about shooting the pair, though they've come to learn it probably wasn't intentional, or Dani felt pity for them. Maybe it was neither. All the boys knew was that Dani never put them under arrest, even if it was their self proclaimed duty as a detective. And even on good days, they'd sit down to chat, the boys always trying to work the innerlockings of Dani's intricate mind. The pair wanted to know why there was a glint of sadness in dani's eyes, why pest Dani didn't talk, while the other Dani did. They tried insults, they tried asking politely, but bad habits die hard. That's why Yves still swung around his cane, why they still jumped out of windows when it made the leg worse. It was muscle memory at this point, just as it was for Dani to find them. They left clues to try and mislead Dani, but Dani was smart, and the boys liked that, they liked taking advantage of Dani's kindness.

So when the boys made their escape out the window, the sickening crack of bone splitting echoing through the alleyway, they looked up at Dani, giving a small salute for their departure. They'd see Dani again, they were definitely sure about it. Dani almost seemed like a friend, in some twisted sort of way. The pair hobbled down the cobblestone streets that collected the rain from the sky and god only knows what else, and made their way down to the tavern. They were greeted by the people they've come to know as family, people who were like them, oddd and different. Maybe that's why they liked Dani so much, they liked knowing that Dani wouldn't judge them for their body cause Dani was the same way. And who knows, maybe Dani didn't arrest them because they were like Dani, and maybe, just one fleeting moment, Dani didn't feel like the only one in the world. Sure, the pair wasn't the most ideal pair to deal with, but they knew the struggles that Dani had to deal with, and feeling normal for one minuscule second was better than feeling alone for all the others.

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tidbits!
•two peas in a pod
•Raised by circus
•Wrecks havoc in every town they visit
•Do jobs around the towns to gain some extra cash and gamble lots
•Two sharpshooters who play wth knives for fun
•Laurent is more skilled in talking, Yves weaponry
•Yves side has a limp and uses a cane because of a misplaced bullet. They aren't sure if it was for them or to scare them
•Laurent makes all the plans only to have Yves mess them up and get themselves into dangerous situations
•Owe a lot of money to people and are always on the run because of it and the circus is a getaway type thing
•Only way to tell them apart is the earrings that Yves has
•Why need anyone else when you got your best bro right beside you??
•Yves has nightmares and Laurent tells him they're gonna be okay and that nothing is gonna get them
•both have claustrophobia and a fear of confinement but Yves' is worse
•Laurent is the more rational side and Yves is the more impulsive side
•Laurent is the smooth talker and Yves is the more aggressive bean
•Likes to get revenge on those who have made fun of them
•Plot twist, left has dyslexia and takes a while to read stuff so right whispers words to him
•they aren't good fist to fist fighters cause they have bad balance and Laurent is the only one who can fight since Yves has to hold them up with the cane. They aren't cohesive and coordinated either.